


His Nightmares

by Angelicat2



Series: Scarred Omega [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hunk (Voltron) is a Good Friend, Hurt Hunk (Voltron), Keith (Voltron) Whump, Keith (Voltron) is a Mess, Nesting, Nightmares, Omega Keith (Voltron), Panic Attacks, Past Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Protective Hunk (Voltron), Shiro (Voltron) is a Good Boyfriend, nothing in the present though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2019-05-31
Packaged: 2020-04-05 05:53:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19042447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelicat2/pseuds/Angelicat2
Summary: Hunk is making a list of what foods to make when Keith has a nightmare, accidentally hurting Hunk in the process. The rest make a nest before finding out about Keith's past.





	His Nightmares

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally going to be the nesting fic...and it kinda turned into a Keith's past fic...whoops. Enjoy!

Hunk liked nests.

Sure, he really had no purpose for them, being a beta and all, but nests were comforting to all. Everyone could use a nest, not just omegas, but omegas made the best nests. They knew how to make them just right, not too lumpy or small but not too flat or big. Nests were up there on the list just below food in importance to him. He remembered his parents building nests when he was younger, when he was scared (which was all the time) and when he was feeling sick. 

Keith built the best nests. For being the more aggressive alpha-ish type of omega, Keith was amazing at making a nest. He picked the best blankets that left them in bliss like floating on a cloud. He made them big enough to hold all of them, all with enough room to move. 

Right now, he and Keith were in the lounge. Hunk was working on his newest project, trying to figure out a way to incorporate Earth food with alien dishes. So far, none of the foods mashed well enough. Either the food was too rubbery or it molded easily around Earth food, leaving dark spots all over the whole dish. Keith was sleeping on the couch beside him, probably exhausted from training earlier and waiting for another hormone stabilizer shot. Hunk knew Keith was overdue for one for the past few days, his behavior taking on its slightly paranoid attitude. He couldn't blame the guy. If his hormones were messed up, he'd be the same way.

Probably worse.

It was funny to see Keith sleep. The smaller slept curled up in a ball, knees tucked to his chest and arms cradled to his chest. Every so often, a small barely-heard trill came from his throat, about the only sign that he was actually alive. Hunk liked hanging out with Keith like this, it comforted him for some reason to know that his friend and packmate was getting sleep and safe. He could guard over him to make sure nobody messed with his friend like that certain asshole had back in the lunchroom days ago. Keith was still clearly shaken up about it, but he hadn’t told them what the jerk had said to him. He had been a bit more withdrawn from the group than normal, but not too much to cause any worry. 

More often than not, he was just tired all the time. He fell asleep in strange places, like his lion or the training room. Most of the time, they’d find him in Shiro’s room, buried under his blankets. Sometimes, Shiro would be in there too, sometimes awake with a report in hand and other times, asleep with his nose to Keith’s wrists.

Hunk had learned that sleep was precious to the two leaders. If one was sleeping, no one was allowed to wake them at any cost, baring an absolute life-or-death situation, of course. They fell asleep better when the other was nearby. Keith had no problems going to sleep and was often impossible to wake with loud noises, but the softest of sounds could rouse him. Shiro, on the other hand, had lots of problems getting to sleep but slept like the dead once he was...unless there were loud noises. So both needed a quiet, safe place to sleep. And Hunk often tried to provide that for them, going as far as to ban people from their paladin lounge if need be.

No, food goo was not a good thing to mix with Gasoplo goo. Hunk shivered as he put it in the “don’t use” pile along with the past two dishes. Besides, Hunk was tired of food goo, and was not going to put that on the meal table at any point.

No.

Dertun meat? Hunk looked over the nutritional value, translating the text to English before throwing it one the “can use” list. It was high in oils and vitamins they needed. It also was kind of like Earth beef, so they could use it for sure. It was also easy to cook, taking about half the time to fully cook as an actual dish of beef.

A tiny chirp stopped him from completely dragging the item to the list. Hunk glanced to the side, to see Keith twitch in his sleep just the slightest. Waiting for a moment with his finger still holding the icon by the list, Hunk stared at Keith who made no move besides another small trilling sound. Blinking, he went back to the list, finally placing the meat on the list.

Olkarion itnos...or at least, what looked like Earth lettuce. It was a plant, in a ball form like one, but it was brown instead of green with tiny strips on the leaves that were bare, leaving holes behind. It was one of the Olkaris’ most grown plants, able to give a boost of energy. Maybe Hunk could make salads out of it or cabbage rolls? He could include the meat from the last dish into that, but he’d have to find a pepper-like plant and some spices to flavor it. If they were going to be fighting a war on the Atlas in space for who-knows-how-long again, bland food wouldn’t cut it. 

Food kept the troops happy in these times. Hunk knew that, so he was figuring out what supplies to use for it.

Dumping it in the “can use” pile, he moved on. Seeing a material like sugar, he tapped the details before another sound pulled him from his thoughts. Glancing back at Keith again, he didn’t see any movement. Frowning, he gazed on for what felt longer than what was appropriate. About to turn back to the list, Keith made another sound, this time louder than before. His left arm jolted slightly as he curled up tighter than before. A long low whine left his throat before he fell silent again.

“Keith?” Hunk whispered as the sour scent of burning tires lit up the air, barely masked by the scent Keith used in place of his neck glands. Hunk cringed at the smell, not used to this ever drifting off of his friend. It smelt like fear and devastation, “Buddy?”

Keith didn’t wake up, which set Hunk’s nerves on end. The other always woke when whispered to. There had never been a time where he hadn’t awoken because of that. Heck, a scrape of a shoe or the venting system kicking on woke him up, hence needing a quiet place. But now that wasn’t happening.

Keith let out another chirp which turned into higher-pitched whine before his hand dug into the couch. Hunk could see his eyes moving quickly under his lids as his brows moved down. More scent flashed through the air, so Hunk put his list down on the table nearby. Turning to Keith fully, he grimaced as a soft rip filled through the air, Keith’s claws biting into the soft fabric and leaving holes behind. A small choked-off chirp left his throat again as he jerked his right leg slightly.

“Keith,” Hunk tapped the other who wasn’t aware of him, only shivering at the touch, “Shit. Keith, wake up.”

Keith did no such thing. Instead, he let out another tiny cry before pushing harder with his hand, now digging his fingernails into the hard material beneath the fabric, which Hunk could hear becoming scratched. His leg once again moved, this time bumping Hunk’s thigh before going back into place.

Hunk had no idea that Keith was this silent during nightmares. No wonder he and Shiro slept arm-in-arm all the time. One could wake the other before it turned into a full-fledged nightmare. Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to happen this time. Hunk carefully placed his hand on Keith’s back to which Keith seemed to settle a bit, falling more quiet for a few seconds. 

But suddenly, without warning, he let out a deep growl that ended in another whine. Before Hunk could blink, Keith slashed his hand out, leaving a big painful cut on Hunk’s forearm. The skin split easily in a long line from his wrist to elbow as blood splattered against the surface of the couch, partially spraying Keith’s restless face and hitting the couch. Hunk himself yelped in shock before he quickly grabbed a cloth from nearby to stop the bleeding. It stung a lot, and the younger had to stop himself from getting sick at the sight. He still wasn’t used to blood.

Keith didn’t calm down at all in that time. He let out another choked whine before he panted, attempting to get up. Hunk didn’t know what to do as he gripped his wounded arm. Should he grab Keith and make sure he didn’t accidentally hurt himself? That could potentially freak Keith out more. Did he go get Shiro? Shiro could probably help much better than Hunk could. But he was off somewhere Hunk had no idea where. It could take ages to get to him, even if he messaged him. Should he continue talking? It could pull Keith out of his nightmare, but it might not. He might not hear it, if he goes on like he has been.

By now, Keith was shaking rapidly, panting like he couldn't catch his breath. Sweat rolled down his pale face, dropping onto the couch to mix with the drying blood. Keith let out another chirp that became a whine before he began dragging himself towards the edge of the sofa. Before Hunk could reach out, he fell off the couch, landing on the floor with a small cry. Hunk jumped forward, making sure Keith hadn't hit his head on the way down.

Keith didn't seem hurt as he laid on his back, but his eyes were open and cloudy. He was still panting as he tried to growl at Hunk, eyes unfocused and glowing golden, with a feral edge in there. But Hunk could see the deep fear in those shrunken orbs, a sign that Keith was somewhat aware of what was happening here.

Oh, quiznak. Hunk almost bonked his own head trying to get to Keith's level and make himself smaller, making sure to keep enough distance between them. Keith had been having a nightmare which had turned into a sleeping panic attack. He was trying to scare Hunk away for some reason, like the bigger might hurt him. Maybe it would calm him if he understood that the beta wasn't going to do anything to him. Rational awake Keith knew Hunk would never hurt him, but freshly-awoken and startled Keith didn’t.

Hunk curled up in a ball like Keith had before, emitting a small whine. It seemed to work as Keith calmed down a bit, actually taking breaths. He laid over on his side, curling up again but not as much as before. He didn't stay that way long, shifting to lay on his front, forehead pressed to the floor, in a submissive manner that wasn't _Keith_. Not strong-as-nails Keith. Not his friend and packmate.

The next words that left his mouth chilled Hunk to the core.

"Don't...fucking...touch me," he snarled as his sharp teeth poked into his lip, leaving a bead of his blood to streak down his chin. A small chirp rolled into a warped sob as he shivered, "Nest... _Shiro..._ others... _nest_."

Hunk cursed under hissed breath as he continued to hold the cloth to his arm. It wasn't bleeding as badly anymore, but it burned more than before. Keith must have cut through quite a bit of his arm. But he wasn't focused on that. No, he was focused on getting the others to them so they could build a nest and hopefully calm Keith down.

"It's okay, man," Hunk spoke softly to Keith who scooted back an inch, still not quite all there yet, "They're coming. We'll...uhh...we'll build a nest for you. Nests are great, right, buddy?"

Keith only huffed before curling up again, shaking slightly as he hid behind his knees. Hunk winced at the smell of his confusion and fright, feeling terrible for his friend. He didn't know what caused such a reaction, but he was worried. 

This was like the panic attacks and flashbacks Shiro got about his time in the Galra prison and being stuck in the astral plane. The older got the same look in his eyes, there but not fully. 

"Guys," Hunk spoke up as he tapped a special button on a tiny device Pidge and he had made specifically for the group after their crash back to Earth, "I need some help here. Keith's...not doing okay. We need a nest."

"What! What's going on?"

"What's wrong with him?"

"Who touched him!"

"Hunk," Shiro took a deep breath, "Is Keith hurt?"

"No, not that I think," Hunk flinched as he heard Keith growl quietly at him without looking at the younger, "He had a panic attack in his sleep? I don't know what to do, guys. He asked for a nest and all I know is that having all of us there will help him."

"Okay, team," Shiro's voice commanded them as everyone went silent, "Lance, get us some water bottles. Allura, we're going to need lots of pillows. Pidge, you can grab all of our scented clothes, anything that will calm Keith and ground him. I'll get all the blankets I can find. We'll meet you in the nesting room, Hunk."

Hunk nodded before remembering they couldn't see it. Confirming his agreement, Hunk ended the call. Glancing to his half-alien friend, he released his most calming scent, like fresh earth after it rained. While not as calming as an omega's scent, it did the trick. Keith seemed to relax just slightly, no longer trembling. 

"Keith, I need to move you in a bit," he began softly, not moving at all, "I want to get you to that nest you wanted, buddy. But we both gotta get there first."

Keith growled slightly before huffing. A moment passed before he nodded in agreement. It took some figuring out, but eventually, Hunk had the smaller in his arms, strolling to the room they used as both a nesting area and a general bedroom for anyone to sleep in. The room was just the right size with two doors on opposite sides, a great place to feel safe with a nest.

The group was already inside, placing everything where it should be, and stuffing the pillows and blankets on the floor. Warmth and textured smells waved through the air, the group trying to make their scents comforting as could be. 

"I thought you said he wasn't hurt!" Lance practically shouted but grew quieter as Keith whimpered before tucking his head into Hunk's shirt, "Why is he covered in blood?"

"He's not covered in blood," Pidge corrected before she sent a scared look, "But there is some. What happened?"

"I don't know," Hunk frowned as he gently set Keith down on the newly made nest, to which Keith promptly buried himself under, no longer noticeable unless you knew he was there, "He was sleeping, but had a nightmare. He woke up and freaked out, man. The blood's mine."

"Wait, what!" Lance shouted before wincing and quieting again, "How did you get hurt?"

"Uhhh," Hunk rubbed his arm, only to narrow his eyes at the sting, "Keith accidentally cut me in his sleep. It's okay now."

"Even if it is," Allura frowned as she took out a white bandage roll, "We would feel much better if you got it bandaged."

"Thanks," Hunk nodded his head as the Altean cleaned his arm and placed on the bandages, "I'm worried about him. It wasn't a regular scary dream. I've had plenty of those. He was...you should have seen it. It was scary, guys. I've never ever seen Keith this way. Ever."

Shiro's gaze turned hard before it softened. He gazed at the bundle of half-Galra hidden below the blankets before he sighed in resignation. Grabbing up a clean cloth, he got it wet before going to the bundle. Hunk watched beside the others as the older alpha carefully peeled the blanket away from Keith's head. Keith didn't move, seeming to be more aware of his surroundings than before. He just stared at Shiro before settling down on the nest without a word. 

A deep rumble left Shiro's throat before he sat next to his mate, running the cloth over his face like he was afraid to touch Keith should he break. Slowly, bit by bit, the blood was wiped away as Keith silently leaned onto his shoulder. 

Hunk sat down in the outer edge, giving them room as the others did the same. Pidge passed Shiro a water, and he gave her a grateful smile back before he convinced Keith to drink some.

"Come on, baby," he smiled patiently as Keith narrowed his eyes, "You need to stay hydrated. For me?"

He let out a small chirp before taking a few deep sips. He stopped suddenly, eyes (normal purple now) sliding to the blanket before he huffed. Shifting around, he patted a spot before snorting in annoyance. A small growl from him convinced them to all move. Keith sniffed around the clothes and blankets before stuffing the stiff blankets to the bottom along with the lumpiest pillows. He placed the clothes throughout the nest before resting the softest blankets on top. The pillows came next, put on with care as Keith checked each spot with intense attention, being completely serious about his task. A moment later, he went back to his spot in the middle before falling limply onto the padded floor, rubbing his face against the materials. A small trill filled the air before he glanced their way.

"I...uhhh…" His voice was deeper than usual, a sign of his Galra traits still hanging on, "I...sorry."

"Hey, no. No," Shiro frowned sadly before he sat behind Keith, hugging him to his chest, "You don't need to apologize, baby. It happens sometimes."

"But I…" Keith swallowed thickly before his dark eyes glanced at Hunk with deep remorse, "I hurt Hunk. His arm…"

"I'm going to be fine, buddy," Hunk smiled reassuringly as he settled down a few feet away from the two, "You didn't mean to scratch me. You probably thought I was someone else."

Keith huffed again before he leaned back onto Shiro, going limp with exhaustion in his features. Everything pulled together to reveal how young he actually was. He may have grown two years that none of the rest of them had gotten, but he was young like them, too burdened by everything. Heck, Hunk didn't even know what age the Galra matured at, so Keith could very well be a kid still in their culture. 

"I want…" Keith paused as a tiny whine filled the room. Shiro rubbed his hair before he sighed softly, "I want to tell you something about my past."

"You don't have to, Keith," Shiro whispered as he rubbed his scent-filled wrist over Keith's chest, "They'll understand if you don't."

"I want to share it," Keith stared back at Shiro with thankful eyes and a half smile on his lips, "They're my team, my pack. They should know. Hunk...Hunk deserves to know."

"Okay," Shiro nuzzled against his temple, "But take your time, Keith. If you just want to be done, we'll cut it short, okay?"

"Okay," Keith nodded as he turned to them with a neutral face, "Shiro only knows because it happened shortly before I went to the Garrison, and I told him after I trusted him. I uhh...my dad died in a fire when I was...young. He was a firefighter. Didn't make it out of that building he ran into. I didn't have any living relatives, so I ended up in the foster system."

Keith paused for a minute. A small chirp rushed from his mouth before the alpha hugged him tighter.

"Things were okay. Some places were nice, others not so much. But I always got sent back to the home. I got my heat earlier than most do, a whole year or so. They were never regular, and when I was fourteen my heat skipped for a whole year," Keith stared at his knees before continuing, "And then it hit me hard when it did come. It came out of nowhere, and I held up in a single room for a whole week and a half."

Hunk understood what Keith wasn't saying. Keith had been alone during his heat, which was so intense that it stretched out for longer than a week. That was fucked up in itself. Omegas needed others there to help them out with their heats just like alphas did with their ruts. Little things like making sure they got food and water made it that much easier on the omega. To not have anyone for this process hurt Hunk all the way to his heart, especially since it had happened to Keith. He could never imagine his family not being there for him for something like that.

"Some of the others staying in the home had recently gotten their ruts," Keith went on as Hunk's stomach shattered like a broken egg on a skillet, "And my heat scent was driving them into a frenzy. Somehow, one alpha got into my room, going on and on about how as an omega, I was supposed to let an alpha have me. That the only place for an omega like me was under him, taking what he would give me."

_“So are you, little omega, when you’re under an alpha like you should be, you filthy little Gal-”_

Hunk felt himself throw up in his mouth a bit before swallowing. That was sick. No one...no one should force another person into that. Didn't matter if they were enticed by the person's scent, heat and rut or not. Heats and ruts were harder alone, but they were manageable. An omega or alpha didn't need a mate during that time.

"When I told him that I wasn't going to let him do anything, he got mad," Keith absentmindedly smelt Shiro's wrist before sighing, "I fought him off even with my heat. I had the upper hand, but he was crazy. He wouldn’t stop. I don't know exactly what happened, but one moment I had shoved him across the room and the next, he was pinning me down with a hand to my back."

Oh...that's what had escalated his fear. Hunk had touched his back, making it worse. He felt really bad now. He should have done something else. Maybe he should have touched him somewhere else or not at all. He should hav-

"It wasn't your fault, big guy," Keith gazed at him with a twisted smile, "You didn't know."

"Yeah, but I feel so bad now," Hunk frowned before a hurt whine left his throat, "I didn't want to trigger bad memories."

"It happens," Keith shrugged before shifting closer to Shiro, now on his lap, "Anyway, he was dumb enough not to have my hands also pinned down. I always wore boxers during my heats because I was used to being walked in on unexpectedly, even outside my heats. It was habit at that point. So as he was trying to get them off, I grabbed my knife and stabbed him in the leg."

Keith let out another distressed chirp which Shiro hummed to, helping Keith relax back into him.

"You're doing great, Keith," he stated as he rested his forehead against the back of Keith's head, "Almost done."

"Yeah, thanks, Shiro," Keith smiled softly before his gaze swept back to them, "I got away from him and hid in another smaller room. His attack made my heat worse, and I didn't want to risk it again. So I spent another week and a half in there, with whatever I grabbed from my stash in the first room. By the time it was over, I had lost a lot of weight. The people at the home placed the blame on me because I wasn't new to my heats and 'should have known that a newly rutted alpha would become seduced by my scent.' And then they moved me out to a different home after demanding that either I give them my knife that I had stabbed him with or I leave."

Hunk could see Shiro flinch, brow twisted down as he bit his lip. Keith must have picked up on it too as he pushed himself to the side before resting on Shiro's lap again, this time facing him.

"Shiro, it wasn't your fault," he growled slightly before huffing and placing both hands on each side of his face, "You didn't know that part either. I never told you about my knife, too scared it would be taken away from me. It wasn't you anyway. Remember?"

"Yeah, I...I remember," Shiro smiled sadly before he hold onto Keith's shoulders, "Hologram. But I...it still shouldn't have demanded that. I know how much your blade means to you, and it obviously means even more than I had thought before."

"Yeah," Keith smiled fondly before rubbing his wrists on Shiro's cheeks, getting a deep rumble from him, "It helped me save you."

"Oh my god," Pidge whispered in the background as both stared at her, interrupted from their moment, "You guys are fucking saps."

“It’s sweet,” Allura smiled at them, “I think that’s what makes them such good mates to each other.”

Both Shiro and Keith blushed slightly before snickering. Shiro carefully swept Keith’s hair from his forehead before placing a kiss there. Keith let out a small purr before turning back to them.

“So...uh…” Lance frowned before looking up at the two, “How’d you survive?”

“Huh?” Keith’s brows scrunched down in confusion, “What do you mean, Lance?”

“Well, that was the only time, right?” Hunk nodded along with the question, hoping just as much as Lance was that nothing else had taken place besides that in Keith’s life, “Nothing else, right? We worry about you, man.”

They all agreed with their own nods this time.

“What? No. That was about the only time it got that bad,” Keith huffed before he chirped, “Otherwise, it was the usual ‘omegas should obey alphas’ and stuff like that. Didn’t help that I was acting as a Galra omega the whole time.”

“It shouldn’t have happened at all,” Hunk scowled before he blinked, “Wait, then why are you okay with Shiro laying on top of you?”

“Uh...because he’s Shiro,” Keith stated as if that said it all, head tilted, “He was the one I trusted first, besides pops. Shiro’s never used his alpha voice on me even though I gave him plenty of reasons to do it, and he’d never hurt me on purpose. I know that, even when I’m having a tough day. Plus, Shiro pressing on me reminds me that he’s...alive…”

Oh...Yeah…

“It grounds me?” Keith raised his brows before blinking, “I guess. I always feel better and safer when Shiro does it, especially in a nest.”

“Because no one can get to you,” Allura gave Keith a knowing look before leaning back against Lance who smiled, “It makes sense. Back on Altea, people liked that too. If I remember correctly, the Galra did too. Especially warriors who have had lots of rough times. It didn’t matter what sex they were. Nests are a place of safety to lots of people in the universe.”

Keith nodded slowly before a loud yawn ripped from his throat. Hunk laughed quietly as it tampered off into a tiny sigh. Keith’s yawns were cute.

“Time to sleep,” Shiro smirked fondly as Keith yawned again, clearly exhausted, “Come on, baby. You can have first dibs on where to sleep.”

Keith grinned before laying down where he was, flat on his stomach. Shiro pressed right against him, mostly on his right side, making sure to leave Keith’s left arm free before he wrapped his flesh arm around Keith’s middle, holding him closer with a rumble. Keith let out a purr before burying his face into the pillow, breath evening out quickly. Small purrs echoed through the air every so often as Shiro sighed softly, pushing part of the blanket over them with his Altean arm.

“He goes to sleep quickly,” Pidge stated before she chose a spot to the left of him, laying out like a starfish, “Night, guys.”

Allura and Lance took spots on Keith’s right, laying near each other. Lance’s head was braced against Allura’s stomach as she rested just by Shiro’s side. Hunk smiled before going to Keith’s side, stretching out with a few inches between them. 

He fell asleep to the gentle drifting scents of his pack.

**Author's Note:**

> I will be making an actual nesting fic, probably as a 5+1 one. XD


End file.
